ARYAm & fPersian, Indian, Hindi, MalayalamFrom an old Indo-Iranian root meaning "Aryan, noble". In India, this is a transcription of both the masculine form आर्य and the feminine form आर्या. In Iran it is only a masculine name.

AZIZmArabic, Persian, Urdu, UzbekMeans "powerful, respected, beloved", derived from Arabic عزّ ('azza) meaning "to be powerful" or "to be cherished". In Islamic tradition العزيز (al-'Aziz) is one of the 99 names of Allah. A notable bearer of the name was Al-'Aziz, a 10th-century Fatimid caliph.

CHANDAm & fHinduism, Indian, HindiMeans "fierce, hot, passionate" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the masculine form चण्ड and the feminine form चण्डा (an epithet of the Hindu goddess Durga).

HASANmArabic, Turkish, Persian, Urdu, Punjabi, Bengali, IndonesianMeans "handsome", derived from Arabic حسن (hasuna) meaning "to be beautiful, to be good". Hasan was the son of Ali and the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. He was poisoned by one of his wives and is regarded as a martyr by Shia Muslims. This was also the name of two kings of Morocco. It is sometimes transcribed as Hassan, though this is a distinct name in Arabic.

HASSANmArabic, Persian, UrduMeans "beautifier, improver" in Arabic. Hassan ibn Thabit was a 7th-century poet who was a companion of the Prophet Muhammad. This name is sometimes transcribed as Hasan, though the two names are spelled distinctly in Arabic.

INDRAmHinduism, Indian, Hindi, NepaliMeans "possessing drops of rain" from Sanskrit इन्दु (indu) meaning "a drop" and र (ra) meaning "acquiring, possessing". Indra is the name of the ancient Hindu warrior god of the sky and rain. He is the chief god in the Hindu text the Rigveda.

INDRAJITmHinduism, Bengali, Indian, HindiMeans "conqueror of Indra" from the name of the god INDRA combined with Sanskrit जिति (jiti) meaning "victory, conquering". In Hindu legend this is another name of Meghanada, the son of Ravana, the king of Sri Lanka. He was given this name by Brahma after he defeated Indra.

ISHAf & mIndian, Hindi, Marathi, HinduismMeans "master, lord" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the feminine form ईशा and the masculine form ईश (an epithet of the Hindu god Shiva). It is also the name of one of the Upanishads, which are parts of Hindu scripture.

JAYAf & mHinduism, Tamil, Indian, Telugu, Hindi, MarathiDerived from Sanskrit जय (jaya) meaning "victory". This is a transcription of both the feminine form जया (an epithet of the Hindu goddess Durga) and the masculine form जय (borne by several characters in Hindu texts). As a modern personal name, this transcription is both feminine and masculine in southern India, but typically only feminine in the north.

KAILASHmIndian, Hindi, MarathiFrom the name of a mountain in the Himalayas which is believed to be the paradise of the Hindu god Shiva. It possibly means "crystal" in Sanskrit.

KALIf & mHinduism, Bengali, TamilMeans "the black one" in Sanskrit. The Hindu goddess Kali is the fierce destructive form of the wife of Shiva. She is usually depicted with black skin and four arms, holding a severed head and brandishing a sword. As a personal name, it is generally masculine in India.

KAMALAf & mHinduism, Tamil, Indian, Kannada, Telugu, Hindi, NepaliMeans "lotus" or "pale red" in Sanskrit. This is a transcription of both the feminine form कमला and the masculine form कमल. This is the name of one of the Krittikas, or Pleiades, in Hindu epic the 'Mahabharata'. It is also another name of the Hindu goddess Lakshmi.

KAVImIndian, HindiFrom a title for a a poet, meaning "wise man, sage, poet" in Sanskrit.

KHANmUrdu, PashtoFrom a title meaning "king, ruler". Its origin is probably Mongolian, though the word has been transmitted into many other languages.

KHURSHIDm & fPersian, Urdu, Persian MythologyModern Persian form of Avestan Hvare Khshaeta meaning "shining sun". In Zoroastrianism this was the name of a Yazata (or angel) who was associated with the sun.

KRISHNAmHinduism, Indian, Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, NepaliMeans "black, dark" in Sanskrit. This is the name of a Hindu god believed to be an incarnation of the god Vishnu. He was the youngest of King Vasudeva's eight children, six of whom were killed by King Kamsa because of a prophecy that a child of Vasudeva would kill Kamsa. Krishna however was saved and he eventually killed the king as well as performing many other great feats. In some Hindu traditions, Krishna is regarded as the supreme deity. He is usually depicted with blue skin.

MITRA (1)m & fHinduism, Indian, HindiMeans "friend" in Sanskrit, a cognate of MITHRA. This is a transcription of both the feminine form मित्रा and the masculine form मित्र, which is the name of a Hindu god of friendship and contracts who appears in the Rigveda.

MOHANDASmIndian, HindiMeans "servant of Mohana" from the name of the Hindu god MOHANA combined with Sanskrit दास (dasa) meaning "servant". A famous bearer of this name was Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (1869-1948), also known as Mahatma Gandhi, an Indian leader who struggled peacefully for independence from Britain.

MUHAMMADmArabic, Urdu, Punjabi, Pashto, Bengali, Tajik, Indonesian, Malay, AvarMeans "praiseworthy", derived from Arabic حمد (hamid) meaning "to praise". This was the name of the prophet who founded the Islamic religion in the 7th century. According to Muslim belief, at age 40 Muhammad was visited by the angel Gabriel, who provided him with the first verses of the Qur'an. Approximately 20 years later he conquered Mecca, the city of his birth, and his followers controlled most of the Arabian Peninsula at the time of his death in 632.... [more]

NAGENDRAmHinduism, Indian, Kannada, TeluguMeans "lord of snakes" from Sanskrit नाग (naga) meaning "snake" (also "elephant") combined with the name of the Hindu god INDRA, used here to mean "lord". This is another name for Vasuki, the king of snakes, in Hindu mythology.

NANDAmHinduism, Indian, Kannada, TamilMeans "joy" in Sanskrit. In Hindu texts this is a name of both Vishnu and the foster-father of Krishna, as well as various other characters. In Buddhist texts this is the name of a god and a disciple of Buddha. Nanda was also the name of a 4th-century BC king who founded a dynasty in Magadha in India.